VIDARBHA JAN ANDOLAN SAMITI(mobile-91-9422108846)

Friday, July 27, 2007

- MIDDAY SPECIAL -

INDIA'S COTTON FARMERS' SUICIDES CONTINUING

FARMERS GATHER at a recent meeting in the Nagpur area to hear proposed government solutions to the country's ongoing cotton farming dilemma. Previous government assistance has fallen short of goals to alleviate the plight of farmers and surviving widows.

(Vidarbha, India) - Pradip Kumar Maitra was quoted in an email to Midday as saying, "Three debt-trapped farmers commit suicide every day in Vidarbha. And the cotton has now been dubbed "the killer crop" as the growers could not get the reasonable returns because of the high cost of farming. Tiwari urged the government to promote low-cost farming so farmers can earn enough returns for surviving.

Maitra added, "Two relief packages have been announced for the region by the state and union government since December 2005, but the suicides continue. The suicide rate that was declining since December, drastically went up from February this year."

Independent sources report more than 500 farmer suicides have occurred already this year, leaving many grieving and destitute widows looking after their starving children.

The Hindustan Times mid-April summaries for Nagpur elaborated on two recent deaths: Venkat Reddy was the cousin of former chairman of Jhari Panchayat Samiti, Ramanna Yelktiwar. Twenty-seven-year old, Venkat was a progressive farmer who consumed poison on a Saturday morning. He had taken a loan of Rs 35,000 from the local State Bank of India and could not repay the loan because of not getting remunerative prices of raw cotton, reports said. Another victim, Bhimrao Bone (65) ended his life by hanging himself. Extreme indebtedness and crop failure were said to be the cause of these suicides.

Kishor Tiwari, leader of the farmers advocacy group, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), pointed out the about-face on banking loan policy as established in a government issued directive aimed at providing working capital for cash strapped farmers, a change said to be now the main cause of recent suicides.

Tiwari said, "As bankers have stopped giving fresh crop loans and have dropped down the credit (financing) facility by 40% from the original NABARD order, debt starved cotton farmers are killing themselves."

When India's finance minister submitted his annual budget for year 2007-08, it was warmly welcomed as the "Agriculture Budget". However, complaints of funding misallocations have

FARMERS’ WIDOWS and children at a June meeting await announcements of possible government financial assistance. - Photo via VJAS

since surfaced claiming some farming areas are obtaining disproportionate loan amounts at the expense of other areas such as Vidarbha.

According to Tiwari, "The Yavatmal district, which has reported the maximum number of suicides, has been earmarked a loan standard representing a 30% decline from its 2006-07 target. Washim district shows a decline of 41%, Akola 36%, and Buldhana 38%, against the previous fiscal year targets. These district credit plans have been finalised on the basis of broad guidelines prepared by NABARD."

Proposed cotton farmer loan repayment waivers have also been the victim of official government policy reversal. Veteran Gandhian leader Mohan Dharia, in a letter to VJAS, supported Vidarbha cotton farmers' efforts for fresh credit and complete loan waivers. As a result of Dharia's intervention according to VJAS representatives, "... the Maharashtra government promised to fulfill these demands, but then backed out."

"Cutting down on credit allocations and curtailing promised loan waivers amounts to punishing Vidarbha for being chosen in the PM's package," Tawari says. He concludes that now cotton farmers are left at the mercy of private money lenders, which will invite more farm suicides.

Additional protests and community meetings are planned, according to VJAS.

One year, two ‘packages,’ and many crores of rupees later, each of the 14,000 high-breed cows distributed by the Maharashtra government in Vidharbha is adding just 1.16 litres a day on average to milk collection in the region. The State government’s own monthly journal says so.

However, the State sees in this, the success of the relief packages of the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister for that region. The Maharashtra government’s journal Lokrajya views it as a vindication of ideas going back to t he days of “Mahatma Jyotiba Phule amd Sant Tukudoji Maharaj.” It goes on to say: “These great men’s ideas are being translated in the form of the farmers’ packages in Vidharbha. In fact, good results are seen.”

“Both those great souls — among the nation’s foremost reformers — would have been stunned by the claims being made in their names,” says Mohan Jadhav, secretary of the Vidharbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS). “Both packages have collapsed months ago. And the cow scheme was the worst part of those. Imagine raising collection by one litre per very costly cow.”

The government, though, believes the project has “helped bring back the reign of Bali Raja.” (A sacred king of farmers in folklore, in whose time great prosperity prevailed.) It says 14,221 cows have been given to Vidharbha farmers. (Lokrajya July 2007.) Because of this, “milk collection there has risen by 37 per cent.” Earlier, it says, “that averaged 44,600 litres daily in these six districts.” But with the success of the packages, “there has been an increase of 16,600 litres.” Or 1.16 litres a day per new cow.

As a result, says Lokrajya, “the farmers are flush with cash more regularly. Their daily financial problems could be solved. They do not need to wait for their crops to grow.”

Giving quality cows to thousands of poor farmers in the six most troubled districts of the region was a high profile element in the relief packages of both Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The first aimed to bring 40,000 new cows to the region in three years. The second, 18,000 in the same period. Close to two million people in these six districts are officially recorded as living “under maximum distress.” Another five million are “under medium distress.” And there have been — in the State’s own count — well over 2,000 farm suicides since 2001. (The real figure is much higher.)

At the time the ‘packages’ were announced, the scheme had been attacked as “insane” by Planning Commission members and farm activists alike. (TheHindu, July 14, 2006). It gave costly cows to poor farmers in drought-hit regions without water and fodder. Besides, the beneficiaries had to fork out quite a bit for cows they did not want. (TheHindu, November 23, 2006). Many complained that the animals had been forced on them and were eating more than “our entire families.” Kamlabai Gudhe’s cow in Lonsawla village of Wardha district cost Rs.17,500. Of this, she had to pay Rs.5,500 and the government the rest. Within weeks, Kamlabai tried hard to give it away to neighbours who did not want it either. “It was too costly to feed it,” she says.

The 14,221 cows have cost already indebted farmers over Rs.7.5 crore. And that does not include the cost of maintaining them. Which could range from Rs.85 to Rs.150 a day depending on who you are and what you can afford. So maintaining these cows would cost Vidharbha’s bankrupt farmers over Rs.50 crore a year. For 1.16 litres more a day, that is a lot of money. (If fully carried out, the State and Centre will together have spent Rs.165 crore on the scheme in three years.) “This must be the costliest per litre milk collection rate in the world,” says Mohan Jadhav of the VJAS.

“It takes Rs.45 a day to keep that creature alive,” says Vijay Jawandia, the region’s leading thinker on agriculture. “So on an increase of one litre, the farmer loses Rs.30 a day in the added cost this cow brings.” Senior officials in Amravati insist that total collection might be much higher. “They could be selling more to private buyers,” says one. But there are no figures to show this.

“If farmers are doing better with private buyers,” asks Mohan Jadhav, “why would they sell these 16,000 litres to government and lose lakhs of rupees each year? Or, if they are getting a better price from government, why would they sell more milk to private parties and lose a fortune?”

The State, though, is pleased with the scheme’s progress. Washim district, says Lokrajya, has seen “an increase of 328 per cent in milk collection.” Not impressive, since its earlier figure was just 700 litres a da y. (Now it is 2300 litres daily.) There are single villages in Western Maharashtra that outdo this entire district. Also the “103 per cent increase” in Yavatmal brings its daily collection to 6,100 litres. “That’s still a fifth of what it was two decades ago,” says Dada Rhode, a leading milk contractor. Also, he says, a lot of milk from Andhra Pradesh is being sold in Yavatmal. So private collection cannot be much better,

“People do not keep cows because there is no fodder and no water. Nothing in the packages has changed that,” says Mr. Jawandia. “There was no real promotion of jowar, which would have brought the fodder. In any case, the farmer gets at best Rs.9 per litre of milk on average. Which is Rs.3 less than what a bottle of Bisleri water sells at. When there is no higher income, what sense does it make?”

Minister promises more cows

The State’s Dairy Development, Fisheries and Animal Husbandry Minister, however, finds that “a transformation has begun.” The impact of these programmes, Anees Ahmed told Lokrajya, “can be seen in the fact th at in the last few days the number of suicides has reduced.” (Shortly thereafter, Vidharbha saw 28 of them in a week.)

The cow programme, though, will not suffer. The Minister promises the State will increase the money it spends per cow to Rs.20,000. “In that way, the financial burden (on the farmer) will be reduced.” What’s more, “in order to increase their [farmers’] awareness, we are going to have Chetna Dindis.” (That is, awareness or consciousness-raising rallies and campaigns.) Vidharbha’s march to progress is unstoppable.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

- MIDDAY SPECIAL -

INDIA'S COTTON FARMERS' SUICIDES CONTINUING

FARMERS GATHER at a recent meeting in the Nagpur area to hear proposed government solutions to the country's ongoing cotton farming dilemma. Previous government assistance has fallen way short of goals for alleviating the plight of farmers and surviving widows.

(Vidarbha, India) - Pradip Kumar Maitra was quoted in an email to Midday as saying, "Three debt-trapped farmers commit suicide every day in Vidarbha. And the cotton has now been dubbed "the killer crop" as the growers could not get the reasonable returns because of the high cost of farming. Tiwari urged the government to promote low-cost farming so farmers can earn enough returns for surviving.Maitra added, "Two relief packages have been announced for the region by the state and union government since December 2005, but the suicides continue. The suicide rate that was declining since December, drastically went up from February this year."Independent sources report more than 500 farmer suicides have occurred already this year, leaving many grieving and destitute widows looking after their starving children.The Hindustan Times mid-April summaries for Nagpur elaborated on two recent deaths: Venkat Reddy was the cousin of former chairman of Jhari Panchayat Samiti, Ramanna Yelktiwar. Twenty-seven-year old, Venkat was a progressive farmer who consumed poison on a Saturday morning. He had taken a loan of Rs 35,000 from the local State Bank of India and could not repay the loan because of not getting remunerative prices of raw cotton, reports said. Another victim, Bhimrao Bone (65) ended his life by hanging himself. Extreme indebtedness and crop failure were said to be the cause of these suicides.

Sunday, July 22, 2007

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/ml.asp?Ref=TkdUT0kvMjAwNy8wNy8yMyNBcjAwNDAx&Mode=HTML&Locale=english-skin-customNagpur: With eight more farmer suicides reported from the region on Sunday, the state government has been accused of playing down agrarian distress that has already resulted in around 600 suicides in cotton belt of the region this year. ‘‘The government and chief secretary Johny Joseph's claims on Saturday about sharp decline in cases of farmers committing suicide for purely agrarian reasons, are grossly misleading,’’ said Kishore Tiwari, president, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS), a farmers' rights group that is keeping a close tab on the situation. ‘‘The government has admitted that out of 600 farmers ending their lives, compensation has been paid only to 85. Ratio of rejection of compensation cases has shot up in recent months,’’ noted Tiwari adding that there have been instances of relatives of the suicide victim farmer being harassed so that they do not claim compensation. After a high-level review meeting presided over by the chief secretary in which the divisional commissioners of Amravati and Nagpur district besides secretaries of department concerned and district collectors participated, it was announced that relief measurers under the Prime Minister's package and that of the state government were reaching the farmers and suicides because of agrarian reasons were on the decline. "It's shocking. If there is no crisis, why have the PM and the state come out with relief packages," asked Tiwari. He said that the lack of a food security for farmers had only worsened the situation. "To get government aid, the victim's family has to prove that he had suffered crop loss and was under debt burden. That is reason most cases are being rejected," said Tiwari.

NEW DELHI, July 18 (Bernama) -- One middle-aged Indian cotton farmer kills himself every eight hours -- either unable to overcome grinding poverty or repay his debts.

Over the last 48 hours at least eight farmers committed suicide in hard-pressed Vidarbha in Maharashtra, a cotton-farming village -- now turning into one of India's killing fields as more vulnerable farmers kill themselves in this remote district.

Since January this year, 506 farmers had taken their own lives despite the government's multimillion relief package to help cotton farmers, simply because aid failed to reach the target group, claim relief workers.

And, since June 2005, more than 5,000 farmers pathetically killed themselves all over India, leaving their wives and children in worse financial doldrums.

The death tolls tell a poignant story of how Indian farmers succumb to free trade competition that has destroyed their revered economic lifeline -- cotton farming -- with cotton prices dipping in the global market while highly subsidised farmers from rich nations corner cotton trade, leaving Third World widows in grim villages.

"Vidarbha was once a white gold mine. We gave the world the best soft cotton. Our cotton was liked by Europeans because it was cheap and shirts made from our cotton kept them warm," Kishore Tiwari, the president of Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (Peoples' Protest Forum), a farmers lobby group, told Bernama.

With cotton prices fetching poor prices, at merely 1,700 rupees (RM154) per quintal or 100kg compared to 2,500 rupees (RM227) in 2005, farmers with paltry earnings found it impossible to cope with spiralling cost of living, even in rural areas, said Tiwari.

"Cost of healthcare, education and food has gone up but farmers' earnings continue to drop. In fact, each farmer's income, according to a government survey, is negative (-400 rupees), which means economically he is not earning anything," he added.

Citing a government national survey conducted last June, Tiwari said about 1.3 million farmers out of 1.72 million, from eight villages, lived in financial distress while 400,000 were in a critical stage.

"It's a mass genocide here," he described, adding that some two million farmers were now in dire need of financial aid because the only cash crop they relied on had failed miserably.

Since the cotton and textile quota restriction was removed in 2004, Third World cotton planters suffer to keep their livelihood fertile -- facing severe rivalry from producers like China and the highly-subsidised American farmers, who can dispose their cotton cheaply in the international market.

Moreover, the majority of Indian farmers grow BT cotton (genetically- modified cotton) that requires a large amount of investment, for irrigation and fertilisers, which are not within the reach of these poor farmers.

"Ninety five per cent of BT cotton are grown in non-irrigated land here, where there is no proper irrigation or water supply. So the yield is low and BT cotton farming requires a lot of money for fertilisers," said Tiwari.

In booming India, the agriculture sector remains an integral part of the economy though contributing a fifth of India's economic output. Some 600 million people rely on farming for direct or indirect source of income.

Yet in a largely investment-driven Indian economy, the third largest in Asia, after Japan and China, with a projected nine per cent gross domestic product growth for 2007-2008, farmers are still squeezed for a living.

There is no quick-fix to revive this ailing sector and Tiwari said only a long-term, government-backed programme could remove farmers' misery in Vidarbha, located about 1,000km from the bustling financial hub of Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra.

"We want protected economy for cotton and credit facilities for farmers. Government must restore healthcare, education and create employment opportunities for the masses, and promote organic or natural farming which is cheaper than growing BT cotton," he added.

On the horizon, the Indian monsoon may continue to drench India for at least another month, perhaps bringing some respite for Vidarbha farmers.

"But when the monsoon slips away the "mass genocide" will bound to continue," cautioned Tiwari.

NAGPUR: Eight more farmers committed suicide in the last 48 hours in cotton belt of Vidarbha taking the toll this year to 506, said Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti on Tuesday.

Of the deceased, four were from Amravati district and identified as Bajirao Ingle of Gorkheda village, Waman Dewan from Deolwada, Janrao Warhade of Phiggaon, Suresh Pande of Valruli, two from Yavatmal — Eknath Kale of Korada village and Vikas Punwatkar of Ramwaki —, Pandurang Ingole of Wadavi village in Washim district and Shankar Mange of Sawara in Akola.

VJAS president Kishore Tiwari attributed the fresh spate of suicides to reduction in credit outlay in the six affected districts by 40% by Nabard. A large number of farmers mainly in Amravati district had to incur extra expenditure as they had to undertake a sowing for the second time after heavy rains washed away their nascent crop, he added.

Readers Opinion

Eight more farmers commit suicide

1Comment:I earnestly appeal to leaders of the Corporate World - Tatas, Birlas, Infosys, Reliance, Wipro and others - to jointly come out with some concrete programme (with or without government support) to prevent poor farmers from committing suicide. I am sure with their vast resources of top brains and finance they can evolve some novel scheme of action to guide and assist these farmers so that they do not go to the extreme step of committing suicide. Please help them.

The Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court had taken a serious note of the recent dishonouring of the cheque of a widow in the neighbouring Yavatmal district and directed the state government to place the entire factual position before it within one week. However, the Court also asked the lawyer of the petitioner to file a separate application in this regard.

It was an embarrassment for the Vilasarao Deshmukh government when a cheque issued by the Yavatmal district collectorate was bounced owing to lack of adequate balance in the account last fortnight. Taking the serious note of the lapse on the part of the district administration, the chief minister even ordered a probe into the incident last week.

The Yavatmal district administration had issued a cheque of Rs 10,000 in the name of one Vandana Shende, whose husband Anil had committed suicide in August last year. Vandana was shocked and surprised when the district central cooperative bank dishnoured the cheque because of paucity of funds in the concerned account of district administration.

Responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) on the on-going farmers’ suicide and half-hearted implementation of relief packages, filed by Kishore Tiwari of Vidarbha Janandolan Samiti, a division bench of the Court, comprising Justice Dilip Sinha and Justice BP Dharmadhikari, directed the state to submit a detailed programmes and status of special economic packages, announced by the Prime Minister and the state government.

The Court also wanted to know the implementations of various directives, given by the Court earlier occasions, on the issue. It asked the government that whether the suggestions made by the petitioner, Kishore Tiwari were taken into consideration in this regard.

Several debt-ridden farmers have committed suicide in Vidarbha, forcing the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh government to announced a special economic package of Rs 3750-crore last year and a sum of Rs 1500-crore by the state government to bail out the crisis-ridden farmers.

However, these packages could not succeed to stem the tide of suicide so far. Around 1200 farmers, most of them cotton growers, had ended their lives in the region since Prime Minister toured the area and announced the package. As many as 32 farmers have committed suicide this month alone.

Bhopal : The Nagpur-based Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti, (VJAS), in an open letter to the Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh has urged him to arrange Central Vigilance Commission probe to investigate the failure of the relief package, given by him, on all fronts in resolving the agrarian crisis pervading in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state.

The letter suggested that as a first step this can be done by sacking of Relief Commissioner Dr. Sudhir Goyal, at present taking advance management training in the United States of America, and Dr. Harshdeep Kamble recently promoted as Deputy Secretary in Mantralaya, (secretariat of Maharashtra state).

The relief package failed on all fronts due to complete apathy of the administration, poor implementation of schemes under the package, corruption and political interference, the letter stated.

The letter emphasized to address the need to better health care and education for the farming community besides total waiver of debts of Bt. cotton growing farmers whose crops have failed.

The letter to the Prime Minister send by Kishor Tiwari, president VJAS, said: "Nowadays your media adviser Sanjay Baru is very busy in issuing press release after press release regarding one cheque retuned back by the bank due to lack of adequate balance in your relief fund account. However, this is not a single case in isolation as hundred of cheques issued to the farm widows and distressed families have been returned by banks in six districts of west Vidarbha".

The letter pointed out that "The Times of India" newspaper reported that Maharashtra Government has ordered a probe into cheque-bounce case issued to Vidarbha farmer's widow Mrs. Vandana Shende of village Bhadumri in Yavatmal but as per the information available with us that the massive corruption and misuse of funds by Dr. Harshdeep Kamble, the then collector Yavatmal District, who has literally made a mockery of complete relief operations".

As Collector Kamble has not only opened a separate account of Prime Minister Relief Fund but he used it at his sweet wish and will. This, thereby, resulted in diversion of funds to the tune of Rs. 74 lakhs out of Rs.80 Lakhs made available for clearing his personal touring bills and to release of fund to people other than widows of farmers who committed suicides and members of farmers' families who are in distress, the letter alleged.

Meanwhile, VJAS president Kishor Tiwari told this Correspondent on phone from Nagpur that Yavatmal District administration on Sunday approached Vidarbha farmer's widow Mrs. Vandana Shende, whose cheque got bounced due to lack of adequate balance in Prime Minister Relief Fund account, with Rs. 10,000/- in cash which she refused to accept. Seeing this the administration, after making special arrangements, got the money deposited in her account in a cooperative bank of the area despite the fact the banks are closed on Sundays, Tiwari informed.

This was apparently done to nullify the adverse publicity the bounced cheque had received in the national media.

Tiwari said that Mrs. Shende has vowed not to withdraw the said amount and if she withdraws it then she would send it back to Prime Minister Relief Fund. He said that Prime Minister Office had directed to disburse Rs. one lakh each to the widows of farmers who had committed suicide but Dr. Harshdeep Kamble, the then collector Yavatmal District, issued cheques of paltry sum of Rs. 10,000 only.

It may be mentioned here that VJAS under the stewardship of Kishor Tiwari is spearheading the cause of widows and farmers of Vidarbha region.

MUMBAI (Reuters) - Hundreds of farmers unable to repay crop loans killed themselves in India's richest state in the past year, despite a multi-million dollar cash plan to improve their lot, activists said on Friday.

The spate of suicides in Maharashtra since last July touched 1,132, they said, highlighting the failure of highly publicised efforts by New Delhi to ease the financial burden of cotton farmers.

Debt-ridden farmers have been committing suicide in four Indian states and government statistics have recorded more than 4,500 deaths in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala in the past six years.

Activists and farmers' groups say the figure is at least five times more.

They say the "accumulated distress" of the cotton growers of Maharashtra was the highest because of $400 million in one-time grants, interest waivers and debt restructuring announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last year had not been properly implemented.

"Even crop seeds promised were never given," said Kishor Tiwari, head of Vidharba Jan Andolan Samiti, a farmers' lobby.

"The money lies unutilised because of a callous bureaucracy. There are at least 1.2 million farmers under distress now."

STILL DYING

Most of India's farming community is poverty-stricken and many farmers borrow -- often amounts that would only buy a few drinks in an upmarket London or New York pub -- from the village moneylender at rates as high as 10 percent a month.

Their debts soar when crops fail due to poor rains or when prices tumble.

Those borrowing privately are not eligible for government relief. Even those who borrow from banks, including state-run rural banks, often have to pay bribes for their loans.

Agriculture supports 600 million of India's 1.1 billion people, but contributes only a fifth of gross domestic product and accounts for only 12 percent of bank credit.

A Maharashtra government Web site said 454 farmers had killed themselves between January and May this year.

Officials said the relief plan was starting to benefit farmers, but more time was needed.

"Suicides have come down by 50 percent in the last one year," said Ramesh Kumar, a top Maharashtra relief official.

But activists said the government was playing down the crisis which the special relief package had not been able to deal with.

"Just go and see if there has been any change in their lot. They are still dying," said Sharad Joshi, chief of Shetkari Sangathan, a powerful farmers' group.

Saturday, July 07, 2007

Western Maharashtra benefited as the region's backlog piled up,but the powers that be don't careNAGPUR: In what could explain the developmental backwardness of Vidarbha and Marathwada, the Maharashtra government, it is learnt, diverted huge funds in the budget to the influential western and northern parts of the state, while ducking the Governor's directives for equitable provisions, thus fuelling the already irreversible regional imbalance.Underlining the non-compliance of the Governor's directives by the government, the 2006-07 Audit Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India finds that in percentage terms Vidarbha was robbed of 70 per cent of its funds, while the neighbouring Marathwada, 55 per cent, in the last financial year.In absolutely terms, the state government made a provision of Rs1662.58 crore for Vidarbha in the budget though the Governor's directive was for an allocation of Rs 5434 crore. Similarly, on Marathwada, the government spent Rs 1512.71 crore, when the Governor's directive was for an allocation of Rs 3469.91 crore.For irrigation sector alone, the government allocated only Rs 1391.58 crore for Vidarbha. The Governor had directed to allocate Rs3919.79 crore.Interestingly, the government tabled this report in the dying moments of the last day of budget session of the state legislature on April 17, apparently to skirt any discussion on the issue. The report was ready in November 2006, so it could have been tabled during the winter session of the state legislature in Nagpur as well.What's more, the Principal Secretary to the government has not yet replied to the CAG report, sources in the regional office of the CAG revealed to DNA.The Government of Maharashtra constituted separate development boards for Vidarbha, Marathwada and the Rest of Maharashtra under Article 371(2) of the Constitution of India on April 30, 1994. After the establishments of these boards, an Indicators and Backlog Committee was set up in November 1995 to calculate the actual backlog of development in the three regions.The committee found the government would need to spend Rs 14,006 crore in the state, mostly in Vidarbha and Marathwada, to liquidate the developmental backlog in nine main sectors: Irrigation, Roads, General Education, Technical Education, Water Supply, Land Development, Veterinary Services, Health and Energisation of Pumps.Following the recommendation of the boards and subject to the need of the state as a whole, the Governor directs the government to allocate funds equitably for development expenditure over the areas of development board.The CAG report adds that the Governor had to issue fresh directives on March 2007 following the violation of his directives in 2006, to liquidate the backlog in irrigation sector by 2010 and in other sectors by 2009

Thursday, July 05, 2007

MUMBAI: Six more farmers have committed suicide in the cotton belt of Vidarbha in the past two days raising the total number of farmer suicides, due to debts, to 1,132 in the last one year. Kishore Tiwari of the Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti has urged the Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh to review the relief package of Rs. 3,750 crore for 30 lakh farmers of the region. The package, according to him, has failed on all fronts due to complete apathy of the administration, poor implementation of schemes under the package, corruption and political interference.

Mr. Tiwari wanted the Prime Minister to investigate the failure of the package in resolving the agrarian crisis.

He said that measures aimed at raising the farmers’ income that would provide relief in loan repayments were not sufficient. He urged for free health care and education for the farming community besides total waiver of debts. More than 5,000 farmers had committed suicides since 2002.

Farm suicides are no way to stop in vidarbha cotton belt as six more farmers killed themselves in last 48 hours when Maharashtra Chief Minister, Chief Secretary along with more than 62 ministers and babus are world tour including relief commissioner Dr.Sudhir Goyal who has been sent to US for special quality improvement progrmme titled “potential leadership development workshop” in new York at the cost relief aid of dying farmers of vidarbha, VJAS has strongly objected this wastage of public money as last five years our Chief Minister along with his team are going on World tour and after return they have been making toll claim of FDI but nothing has come so far,it’s all misleading ,Kishor Tiwari of Vidarbha Jan andolan Samiti informed to day .

Six debt trapped farmers who committed suicides in last 48 hours in vidarbha are

1.PRAKASH GOVINDA DARANE,YERABALA IN YAVATMAL

2.SURESH SHANKAR GHUGE OF GONDI MAHAGAON IN NAGPUR

3.SHANKAR BAPU ANDHALE OF DHABAVILLAGE IN AKOLA

4.GOKUL LAXMAN BOSARI OF PADHA IN YAVATMAL

5.SALOBA YASHAWANT NIKALAJE IN SHELGOAN IN BULDHANA

6.RAJU BHIKA CHAVAN IN MAGRULPIR IN WASHIM

Sixfarmers suicides are in line with record 1132 farmers suicides in last one year sine 1stjuly-2006 day on which Indian prime minister announced the special relief package to more than 3 million farmers of west vidarbha ,here is chronological account of farm suicides in vidarbha month wise anddistrict wise

MONTH

FARM SUICIDES

DISTRICT

FARM SUICIDES

JULY-2006

90

YAVATMAL

291

AUGUST-2006

111

AMARAVATI

186

SEPTEMBER-2006

124

AKOLA

131

OCTOBER-2006

112

WASHIM

151

NOVEMBER-2006

107

BULDHANA

146

DECEMBER-2006

105

WARDHA

104

JAN-2007

70

NAGPUR

27

FEB-2007

86

BHANDARA

32

MARCH-2007

82

CHANDRAPUR

41

APRIL-2007

90

GADCHIROLI

12

MAY-2007

79

GONDIA

14

JUNE-2007

68

JULY-2007

08

TOTAL

1132

TOTAL

1132

Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti (VJAS) has urged Indian prime minister Dr.Manmohan Singhji have review to failure of relief package on all front due complete apathy of administration and poor implementation of all scheme under relief package. Huge corruptionand political interference has made farmer’s condition in vidarbha more hostile as all the time feed back provided by the state administration was misleading, kishor tiwari added.

Now it’s urgent need of the hour to restore rural social and civil system in vidarbha as his Rs.3750/- crore relief package has failed to stop on going farm suicides in vidarbha as more than 1132 farmers mostly debt trapped cotton farmers who are in distress due economic crisis have committed suicide since1ST July -2007Kishor Tiwari VJAS leader informed in a press release today.

VJAS asked Indian prime minister to arrnge the detail investigation in to fact that now it’s after one year after PM visit to west vidarbha to under stand the Agrarian crisis in which more than 5000 farmers suicides reported since 2002 ,In fact before the visit of Indian prime minister , Dr.S.W.Swaminathan as Chairman of National Commission for farmers NCF visited vidarbha in the month October-2005 then in the months of march-2006 team of expert from Planning Commission visited the vidarbha ,vidarbha farm crisis is the part of Indian Agararian crisis in which farmers are killing themselves and as per official record since 1995 more than 1,00,000(one lac)farmers mostly cotton growers or coffee growers are the main victims of economical collapse of rural system after we opted open trade and free economy ,your vidarbha visit was part of relief exercise to address this national issue of farmers suicides and experts have already prepared the relief package before PM visit to vidarbha and announcement of package on 1st July 2006 ,VJAS protested the relief package as farmersr main demand of debt waiver and income base solution for the cash crop of the cotton farmerswas missing resulting complete failure of package after one year.

FARMERS WANTS RURAL SYSTEM RESTORATION

VJAS has urged indian prime minister that unless income package is given to vidarbha farmer nothing will change hende relief of credit and cost front is need as drop in income and sudden increase in input cost of cultivation couple with high cost being paid to health care ,education and maintaining daily livelihoodhas very difficult to farming society. farmers needs restoration civil and social system in orderthat they need profitable farming couple with free health care and education. VJAS urgedPrime Minister that to look in to these aspects and arrange to provide the relief solutions based on the policy changes to protect rural economy of west vidarbha, kishor tiwari said.

Now it’s after one year that you visited west vidarbha to under stand the Agrarian crisis in which more than 5000 farmers suicides reported since 2002 ,In fact before your visit Dr.S.W.Swaminathan as Chairman of National Commission for farmers NCF visited vidarbha in the month October-2005 then in the months of march-2006 team of expert from Planning Commission visited the vidarbha ,vidarbha farm crisis is the part of Indian Agararian crisis in which farmers are killing themselves and as per official record since 1995 more than 1,00,000(one lac)farmers mostly cotton growers or coffee growers are the main victims of economical collapse of rural system after we opted open trade and free economy ,your vidarbha visit was part of relief exercise to address this national issue of farmers suicides and experts have already prepared the relief package before your visit to vidarbha and you announced it on 1st July 2006 ,we protested the relief package as our main demand of debt waiver and income base solution for the cash crop of the cotton farmerswas missing but farmers but it was shown the dustbin .

Now we are informed that you are reviewing the relief package that you announced year before on 1st july 2006 and we want update some of the facts to support our claim that relief package has been failed to address the basic issues of rural crisis in west vidarbha.

1.Record 1120 farmers suicides in last one year ,here is chronological account of farm suicides in vidarbha month wise anddistrict wise

MONTH

FARM SUICIDES

DISTRICT

FARM SUICIDES

JULY-2006

90

YAVATMAL

283

AUGUST-2006

111

AMARAVATI

180

SEPTEMBER-2006

124

AKOLA

131

OCTOBER-2006

112

WASHIM

151

NOVEMBER-2006

107

BULDHANA

145

DECEMBER-2006

105

WARDHA

104

JAN-2007

70

NAGPUR

27

FEB-2007

86

BHANDARA

32

MARCH-2007

82

CHANDRAPUR

41

APRIL-2007

90

GADCHIROLI

12

MAY-2007

79

GONDIA

14

JUNE-2007

64

TOTAL

1120

TOTAL

1120

Farm suicide is not the any way indicator of vidarbha agrarian crisis but we would like to draw your attention to Survey Report dated 15 th June, 2006 conducted by the Government of Maharashtra's Vasantrao Naik Sheti Swawlamban Mission at Amravati in connection with the Farmers' plight.

2.Sir, it is evident from the Survey Document that the farmers ' in extreme distress' as mentioned in the column 9 of the Survey Chart are 4,34,291 and the farmers families suffering from serious illness are 92,456.

Relief package failed to address the basic issue of vidarbha farmers that is credit and cost

RELIEF PACKAGE FAILURE DETAILS

SR.NO.

RELIEF AMOUNT

DISBUSEMENT

RESULT

1

RS.710 CRORE TO THE BANK AS INTEREST WAIVER THAT HAS DRASTICALLY REDUCED NPA OF BANKS.

ADDITIONAL RS.840 CRORE CROP LOAN GIVEN TO THE COTTON FARMERS.

THIS YEAR DEBT AMOUNT INCREASE AS NABARD FAILED INCREASE CROP LOAN CREDIT. TILL DATE ONLY 2LACS FARMERS HAVE BEEN GIVEN FRESH CROP LOAN AS AGAINST 8 LACS LAST YEAR.

2.

RS.2460 CRORE FOR MAJOR AND MICRO IRRIGATION PURPOSE

ONLY RS.231 CRORE RELEASED ON PAPER

NO SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN AREA UNDER IRRIGATION IN FACT IT WAS ONLY 12000 ACRE AGAINST 80000 ACRE IN LAST RUBY SEASON

3

RS. 90 CRORE AID FOR OTGANAIC FARMING

NIL AMOUNT WAS GIVEN BY THE STATE

AREA UNDER B.T. COTTON DOUBLE IN THIS SEASON

4.

RELIEF WIDOWS

PMO FAILED TO MONITOR THIS AID TOO

OUT OF 1200 SUICIDES 890 CASES WERE REJECTED BY ADMINISTRATION.

The detailed survey was conducted by the said Government Controlled Mission at Amravati under the guidance of Divisional Commissioner at Amravati, in the 8351 Villages of 6 Districts of Vidarbha comprising of Yavatmal, Amravati, Akola, Buldhana, Washim & Wardha in which 17,64,438 families were surveyed by the Mission.

On the basis of the in-depth study and analysis conducted by our organization, out of such a huge numbers of families from those surveyed villages, we would like to draw your immediate attention towards the column No. 8 & 9 pertaining to the farmers in extreme distress and farmers with serious illness as stated above.Hon'ble Sir, in majority of cases of farmers suicides, we came to know that there is no food or medicine available to them and this plight has continued to result the extreme step of suicide by the said farmer and / or its family members. Now, it is imperative on the part of the Union of India and State of Maharashtra that this known factors / points are to be attended to immediately so that these two class of farmers families i.e. the Farmers in Extreme Distress and Farmers Suffering from Serious Illness need to be attended immediately to remediate the plight of such farmers on the verge of committing suicides.

Farmers in Extreme Distress –

Identified Families : 4,34,291.

CAUSES IDENTIFIED :

After visiting the families of the farmers which committed suicides, we came to know that there was no food even sufficient for 2 days in the houses of such farmers. These unfortunate facts of non-availability of Food or money to buy food grain and / or the medicine, resulted in the ultimate sad and unfortunate incident of suicide by the said farmers who were unable to face the agony and distress of such unfortunate plight of indirect hunger and ultimate starvation of the family members including small children and old parents. The Union of India through State of Maharashtra is providing food grain at the subsidized rate to the BPL families amongst the farm / landless labours. In order to stop the indirect hunger and starvation of these 4,34,291 Identified 'Families in Extreme Distress', most of them are small farmers of which the economic condition is not above the landless labourers (Col No. 9 of the Survey Chart), State of Maharashtra to provide 25 Kg of Food grain per month at the subsidized price @ Rs. 3 – 5 per kg under the PDS and/or any other special scheme to be announced at least for a period of 18 months now onwards. This will immediately result in providing direct food help to the 4,34,291 Identified Families in Extreme Distress and the indirect starvation of such families can be stopped so that the ultimate effect which is leading to the unfortunate suicide of the farmer family can be stopped, once the hunger and the indirect starvation of such families is attended to.

As per Maharashtragovt. official report that more than

95 000 farmers families suffering from serious illness and when we visited families and After visiting the families of the farmers which committed suicides, we also came to know that there was no medicine in the houses of such farmers where the family members are seriously ill or suffering from such diseases. The non-availability of medicine or money to buy food grain and / or the medicine, resulted in the ultimate sad and unfortunate incident of suicide by the said farmers who were unable to face the agony and distress of such unfortunate plight of indirect sufferings due to illness, hunger and ultimate starvation of the family members including small children and old parents. The State is providing medical / health services to BPL families at the subsidized rate amongst the farm / landless laborers. In order to stop the indirect plight due to serious illness coupled with hunger and starvation of these around 95,000 Identified Farmers Families with Serious Illness, most of them are small farmers of which the economic condition is not above the landless laborers (Col No. 8 of the Survey Chart), State of Maharashtra to provide Special BPL / Health Cards to such families so that they get the subsidized health care in Government run hospitals at par with the landless laborers or BPL families. This will immediately help in providing direct health care to the 92,456 Identified Families with Serious Illness and in Extreme Distress and which can help to stop the unfortunate suicide of the farmer families with serious illness.

FARMERS WANTS RURAL SYSTEM RESTORATION

Drop in income and sudden increase in input cost of cultivation couple with high cost being paid to health care ,education and maintaining daily livelihoodhas very difficult to farming society. farmers needs restoration civil and social system in orderthat they need profitable farming couple with free health care and education.

dear prime minister you are kindly requested to look in to these aspects and arrange to provide the relief address .